Govt committed to SC, ST uplift

CM, Deputy CM will be felicitated at 'Dalit Shankharavam': Harsha Kumar

Rajahmundry: The Congress government, led by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, was making dedicated efforts for the uplift of SCs and STs and bringing a legislation on SC/ST Sub-Plan funds was a historical and bold decision taken by the Chief Minister, Amalapuram MP GV Harsha Kumar said here on Friday. Dalits would be felicitating Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Damodara Raja Narasimha at 'Dalit Shankharavam' to be held at the Governments Arts College here on Saturday for being instrumental in bringing the legislation for the first time in the country. The Amalapuram MP, along with Minister for Stamps and Registrations Thota Narasimham, reviewed the arrangements at the Government Arts College.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Harsha Kumar said that the State government had allocated Rs 12,251 crore for SC/ST Sub-Plan in 2013-14, Rs 1,481 crore for SC students in the form of scholarships for 2013-14 and Rs 350 crore for the maintenance of educational institutions. Income limit has been increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh for SC, ST students to get scholarships and allocations to the tune of Rs 1,510 crore have been made for 15.8 lakh SC Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the 2013-14 Budget.

He reminded that monthly mess charges of SC, ST students have been increased from Rs 475 to Rs 750 from Class III to Class VII, from Rs 535 to Rs 850 from Classes VIII to X and Rs 520 to Rs 1,050 for post-Matric students. He further said that Rs 423 crore has been allotted for 62,213 beneficiaries through SC Corporation in the 2013-14 Budget. The government has earmarked Rs 45.97 crore for setting up 59 Primary Health Centres in ST areas and for setting up 19 community health and nutrition clusters, he said adding that Rs 737 crore has been allocated to improve basic infrastructure in SC, ST colonies.

Mr Harsha Kumar said that the State government had set up 23 Special Sessions Courts, 22 mobile courts to try cases under the SC, ST Atrocities Act and also a special cell under one IG in the Police Department. The State government was providing financial assistance to the tune of Rs 20 crore to SC victims to get legal advice and suggestions and added that Rs 5 crore has been earmarked for ST victims to get legal support.

The government was providing Rs 150 for day scholars and Rs 350 for hostel students in order to benefit three lakh students under 'Rajiv Vidya Deevena' from the next academic year. Additional allocations to the tune of Rs 1,259 for SCs and Rs 480 crore for STs were being provided by the Central government. He made it clear that the objective of the SC/ST Sub-Plan was to develop SCs and STs on par with other sections.

Mr Harsha Kumar said that AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, Union ministers Kishore Chandra Deo, MM Pallam Raju, Panabaka Lakshmi and P Balaram Naik, PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, State ministers Geetha Reddy, P Viswaroop, Sailajanath, D Manikya Varaprasad, P Balaraju, Prasad Kumar, Kondru Murali, Thota Narasimham, Pithani Satyanarayana, Parliament members T Ratna Bai, Vundavalli Arun Kumar, Nandi Yellayya, JD Seelam, Chinta Mohan, Manda Jagannadham, G Vinod and Sirisilla Rajayya would attend.